Carrots! Monash University has told us that carrots have no detectable FODMAPs at the generous amounts that they tested so this is one food we can feel safe about eating – so we made carrot cake! (For information about lab testing and carrots, read this article).
So how about tucking a whole pound of shredded carrots into a luscious, moist, cinnamon-accented gluten-free carrot cake with nuts and raisins and a lactose-free cream cheese frosting? Do. I. Hear. A. YES????
Old Fangled to New
I have made carrot cakes for restaurants and bakeries and developed carrot cake recipes for corporate clients and magazines and published recipes in many of my books – including a book on wedding cakes and yes, it carrot cake was chosen by many a bride that I baked for, producing multi-tiered carrot cake creations.
Carrot cake is a classic that will never go away – because it is so delicious! And it happens to be super easy, too. You can even whip up the cake batter by hand.
Of all the cakes that I have re-worked from my pre- FODMAP days, this one is just as delicious if not better than the original. There is no way anyone will know this is gluten-free or part of a “diet”. Carrot cake aficionados have told me this is the best carrot cake they have ever had. Truth.
One Cake – Two Looks
I decided to create two different looks for this cake. Check out the images below with the slider function. The cake can be filled and topped with the Cream Cheese Frosting, with the sides of the two cake layers left bare naked. Or, you can use the same amount of frosting and schmear it thinly on the sides, leaving some of the cake peeking through.
I love both approaches and have a hard time choosing. Let me know which you make! (And I’d love to see pictures).
The carrots “growing” out of the cake is a styling trick that’s been around for a while. I created a version of this with carrot cake cupcakes in my Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes.
Grab the slider below and play with the “naked” vs. schmeared look to help you decide your approach.
The real carrots aren’t actually pressed into the cake (although you could do that). They are just cut to height and the frosting acts as glue. They certainly aren’t necessary, but they are damn cute.
Looking for more special cakes, for special occasions? Check out our article, 15 Low FODMAP & Gluten-Free Birthday Cakes & Celebratory Treats.
Low FODMAP Carrot Cake
Our low FODMAP carrot cake is gluten-free and super easy to make - you don't even need a mixer, although one comes in handy for the frosting.
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 2 cups (290 g) low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola or rice bran
- 3/4 cup (149 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (107 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound (455 g) carrots, scrubbed, stem ends trimmed and discarded, finely grated
- 3/4 cup (125 g) raisins
- 3/4 cup (75 g) toasted walnut halves or whole pecans, chopped
Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick; 85 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 3 cups (270 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Green Valley Organics lactose-free cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed (see Tips)
Preparation:
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For the Cake: Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Coat two 9 x 2-inch (23 cm x 5 cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray, line bottoms with parchment rounds, then spray parchment.
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Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
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Whisk together oil, sugar and brown sugar until well blended in a mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth and combined. Whisk in cinnamon and vanilla, then use a large, sturdy spatula to fold in the carrots, raisins and nuts.
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Pour wet ingredients over dry and fold in until combined. Divide batter evenly in prepared pans and smooth batter with an offset spatula.
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Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs. Cool pans on racks for 10 minutes. Unmold, peel off parchment, and place directly on racks to cool completely. Layers are ready to fill and frost. Alternatively, place layers on cardboards and double wrap in plastic wrap; store at room temperature and assemble within 24 hours.
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Make the Frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until very creamy and smooth, for about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and cream cheese and begin by beating on low speed. As the frosting comes together and you aren’t in danger of confectioners’ sugar flying everywhere, turn speed up to high and beat until very creamy and smooth. Scrape down the bowl once or twice during the process to make sure everything is blended evenly and smoothly. The frosting is ready to use and best if used immediately.
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Apply the Frosting: Decide which frosting application you are going to use. For either approach, place one cake round on serving platter. Spread frosting on top of this bottom cake layer, going all the way to the edges. Place second layer on top.
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If you want to leave the cake sides bare, apply the remaining frosting just to the top of the uppermost layer, leaving the sides naked and pristine.
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If you want to schmear the sides with a thin veil of frosting, simply do just that! I like to use a small straight icing spatula. Apply a thin layer to the sides and be a little more generous for the top.
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The cake is done and needs no additional décor. If you want to replicate the images, simply by some slender fresh carrots with their tops attached and trim the carrots themselves and then press them into the frosting right before serving. Some extra cinnamon can be sprinkled on top to look like dirt, it you like.
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The cake may be served immediately, or refrigerated for up to 2 days under a cake dome (so as to not disturb the frosting). Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes:
Tips
- I have a love/hate relationship with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Well, “hate” is too strong of a word but let’s just say it can be complicated. The fact is that nothing compares to the bright, clean flavor of freshly squeezed lemon juice, yet I do understand that it is common not to have fresh lemons around and/or they can be pricey. And when there is a recipe like this where the lemon juice amount is small, it is nice to have a convenience product to use. There is one, and only one, lemon juice product that I recommend and that is the frozen Minute Made Premium 100% Pure Lemon Juice. It has an incomparably fresh lemon flavor with no preservatives or additives; no other bottled or commercially available lemon juice comes close. It is a recipe developer’s favorite and we think you will like it, too. Buy a couple of bottles. Have one in the fridge and one in reserve in the freezer. Look for a black and yellow box in the freezer section near the concentrated juices. Inside is a 7.5 ounce/221.8 ml bright yellow squeeze bottle that is easy to find once stored in the refrigerator and easy to handle. You can easily squeeze out 1 teaspoon, if that is what you need. Once defrosted it lasts for 8 weeks (refrigerated) and there is even a little area on the bottle where you can write in the date when it was initially defrosted.
- One of our community members baked this in a 13-inch by 9-inch (33 cm by 23 cm) pan and it worked perfectly. She started checking at 20 minutes and then about 10 minutes later as well.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Eat to your tolerance.
- Carrots: Carrots have been lab tested and deemed low FODMAP by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. According to Monash carrots contain no FODMAPs.
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Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
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Raisins: Monash and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested raisins. While raw grapes contain no FODMAPs, the natural sugars concentrate upon drying and the resulting raisins do contain FODMAPs. Monash says a low FODMAP Green Light serving is 1 Australian tablespoon (13 g). FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at 3 tablespoons (30 g).
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Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
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Walnuts: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested walnuts. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at ¼ cup (30 g) portions. Monash lists the same gram amount as low FODMAP and pegs the volume at 10 walnut halves.
- Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
This cake is a family favorite. I have no idea how long it will keep because it’s always gone in 2 days. Last night I was running late and told the family I would do the frosting today. When I came down this morning 3/4 of the cake was gone and they told me it was perfect as is. Since this cake whips up in a snap and I keep a container of ground carrots anyway for the low FODMAP breakfast cookies I am sure this will be on the menu weekly.
Hi Helen! I agree with your family – I am partial to this cake as is – naked! Thank you for letting us know. It is so easy and I hope more folks will give it a try. It is always welcomed at any bake sale or potluck, as well.
I’m excited to make this cake! Can you keep it out of the fridge in a cake dome for less than 24 hours?
With the dairy based frosting it should be refrigerated. Without, it is just fine at cool room temperature.
delicious. Cake is really moist and tasty.
Milo, thank you for letting us know. I think this gluten-free version is barely different from the original. I have fed it to many people who had no idea it was “diet” food ?
This carrot cake can’t be classed as low fodmap because of the large number of raisins you’ve included in the recipe! So you’re misleading people by calling this cake low fodmap..
Averil, there are 125 grams of raisins in the recipe. 13 grams of raisins are Low FODMAP, per serving, according to lab research performed by Monash University. The recipe recommends 24 servings and is well within low FODMAP thresholds. Please always pay attention to the serving sizes. Without serving sizes, we cannot discuss or present FODMAP content. Also remember that the diet is called the “low” FODMAP diet; it is not a “No” FODMAP diet. Hope this clarifies.
Dede Wilson, I was curious about the whole raisin thing about it being a Low FODMAP or High and the amount of intake… But if you think about it, realistically you will not devour the entire cake at once so therefor 125 grams of raisins isn’t that big of a deal if especially it is mixed in, a slice of cake may contain less than 13 grams when things are mixed. For example if this cakes makes 14 servings and if the 125 grams of raisins are equally divided amongst 14 servings, each serving will receive only 8.9 grams, lets round it off to 9 grams of raisins…
Yes, Jordan, all recipes (ours and others) HAVE to be viewed through their serving size recommendation. This is also why some recipes online, which are published without serving sizes cannot truly be considered low FODMAP because although low FODMAP ingredients might be used, we have to take their high and low FODMAP amounts into consideration. You might also find these articles interesting on What Is A Low FODMAP Serving Size? and also What If A Food Has Not Been Lab Tested For FODMAPs?
Totally agree with you on this. Not only because of the raisins, but also the sugar and brown sugar. Way too much to be even remotely considered low fodmap, but still looks like a great recipe for gluten free.
Joahnna, the recipe absolutely IS LOW FODMAP per serving sizes stated. Raisins are low FODMAP in specified amounts and white sugar and brown sugar are not FODMAP issues, FYI. Perhaps take a look at this article. I am Monash trained and FODMAP Friendly Accredited and developed and tested this recipe. Always look at serving sizes – not entire amounts called for, which is often overlooked.
Any chance you know how long to bake as a cupcake in standard sized cupcake/muffin tins? Thanks!
I would begin checking at 12 minutes. The cake is heavy, so it might take longer. Use visual cues to guide you.
I made this in a muffin tins today! I left them in for 22 minutes and it seemed just right. Not dry or browned, but no gumminess either.
Hi Crystal, individual portions sounds great!
Love the cake! Skipped the frosting and the raisins (used a bit more flour instead).
Ah and I used spelt as the flour – worked great as well!
Thank you for letting us know about your creativity! We always like to point out – especially for others who might read this comment and follow suit – that when you make changes to our recipes, we cannot vouch for their low FODMAP status. I guess you have determined that you tolerate spelt well, which is great. Spelt, FYI can be a confusing ingredient and the Monash app has to be read carefully to understand the low FODMAP lab tested status of this flour. SIEVED spelt flour is low FODMAP in amounts of 2/3 cups or 100g. Non-sieved spelt, be it white or wholemeal is High FODMAP at the same amounts.
Ive just made this cake (minus the nuts) and it was delicious. Really light but filling, when I saw the portion size in the recipe I was sad – but actually it’s a really good slice of cake! I’ll definitely be making this again. I used self raising gf flour, and 1 less tsp of baking powder as I had no plain flour in. I was surprised how wet it was when it went into the oven and wondered if it would cook in the time it said, but it was perfect. Great texture and so moist. Might alter the frosting to suite my taste (less sweet) but was a hit in this house. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for letting us know! Remember, ultimately the serving size is dependent on how your GI system reacts to the ingredients. There is no need to unnecessarily restrict but then again of course cake is a special treat!
Making this cake for the second time today and the whole house smells amazing! This is a winner!
Lucky friends & family!
Hi I was just wondering if this cake is suitable to freeze (obviously without the frosting). Thank you.
You can. I am not a huge fan of freezing cakes as they dry out but this cake actually fares better than most. Double wrap in plastic wrap and insert in a large zip top bag with air removed if you can.
Great cake I made it for my wife but made the following alterations, I substituted Swerve brown sugar and charged the white sugar to monk fruit sugar and only added a half a cup ( I think monk fruit sugar is too sweet at a one to one switch) also changed the frosting to one whole cream cheese pack and only one cup of swerve powdered sugar. Also cooked it in a Bundt pan changing the cooking time to 50 mins. It turned out great I will make it again for sure
Hi Paul, we see you like to get creative in the kitchen! That’s great and we are happy you loved the results. I would like to point out a few things for you and others who may read this: whenever changes are made to our recipes we cannot guarantee that they remain low FODMAP. You have made some changes that do affect the FODMAP load of the original recipe. Swerve is made from erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol, and it can trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Swerve also contains additional oligosaccharides, all of which means we do not recommend it. Monk fruit sugar also has not been lab tested at this time; we do not have access to any lab tested results. Conventional cream cheese ups the lactose content of the finished dish. If you tolerated your changes well, then you don’t have to change a thing! Just wanted to make sure we we were all clear.
Hi Dede, we are making this cake today but are going to omit the nuts (daughter doesn’t want them!)…should we add more carrot or flour or just leave as is? Thanks so much! Our whole family enjoyed the chocolate cake from this site last month! So happy to have yummy low fodmap recipes!
As is without nuts should be fine! ENJOY!
How can the frosting be lactose-free when it calls for unsalted butter? Am I missing something here?
Butter is considered a fat and contains no carbohydrates, therefore it contains no FODMAPs and is considered lactose free. One thing you can do is look at your butter label and you will see that under carbohydrates it says 0%.
I made this last week in a 9×13 pan as is. There was plenty of icing and cake. I cooked it for probably 20 minutes and then checked every 10 or so until it was done. I just wanted a no fuss sheet cake since it was just for the fam.
This cake is great! It’s very easy to make. Nobody will ever know that you’re bringing a “diet” recipe.
Very helpful for others who want to make it this way. I will add your info to our recipe! Thank you so much for letting us know.
Fantastic!!!
Hi, I made this cake and it was delicious! However, I think it began to mold within two days. Do you put it in the fridge immediately after baking? Do gluten free pastries mold faster? Would love to hear from you!
Hi Ingrid, I haven’t had an experience where GF baked goods mold faster. It could just be a matter of temperature and humidity. You could refrigerate it. Make sure to wrap it up very well (I use plastic wrap against all cut sides and the very least). Refrigeration can dry out many baked goods, which is why I don’t do it very often, but in your case it looks like it will help.
Thanks! I found pieces of carrots turning black inside the cake. I peeled the carrots until they were entirely orange before baking them so I know they weren’t black from the start and I purchased the carrots the day I baked the cake. I’m not sure if it was mold or if this happens to carrots in baked goods? Thanks anyway!!!
Hmm. Did you use walnuts? Sometimes they can turn things black but I am not sure what happened!
I was wondering if anyone has made this with pineapple, which is something I love in carrot cake! I imagine you’d want to decrease the sugar some but I’m wondering if anyone has tried it or has recommendations!
I have a completely separate tropical carrot cake that I will post at some point that contains pineapple and coconut. You could try adding it although make sure it is not too wet; this is a very moist cake. Also, you will have to recalculate FODMAP load. Maybe reduce oil to 3/4 cup and reduce there carrots a bit.
Can canola/rice bran oil be substituted with coconut oil or avocado oil?
Any oil will work, however I am not partial to coconut oil. As it hardens at cooler temperatures it has a very different affect on texture of the cake – and for me personally it sits very heavy in my tummy. Of those two I would use avocado.
I had run out of canola oil and ended up using olive oil and it came out great. I love coconut oil, but I agree it shouldn’t be used in cake due to its texture. I did, however, substitute it for the butter in the frosting and it turned out well.
Where do I locate serving size? I see it’s 24 servings. What is 1 serving
Thanks
1/24th of the whole cake. In other words, as stated, 24 servings. I usually cut in wedges as one would with most round cakes. Cut in half crosswise, cut in half again and keep going until you have 24 equal wedges. One wedge equals one serving
I found this recipe after watching my husband eat carrot cake at Easter, with great jealousy. It is soooooo good, thank you!
Thrilled to hear! Thank you for letting us know your experience:)
Definitely will be making this again – delicious!
Excellent! Thank you for letting us know.